Is Murakami Haruki Still Relevant?
Best-selling writer Murakami Haruki is a global literary sensation. His work has been translated into 50 languages, has sold millions of copies worldwide, making him a perennial favorite for the Nobel Prize. Notwithstanding this acclaim, many contend that his work has diminished in contemporary relevance due to, among other things, the outdated portrayal of women it frequently exhibits. Despite this criticism, the profound impact of Murakami’s vision is undeniable, as evidenced by the numerous cinematic, television, theatrical, and media adaptations of his fiction that have been produced globally. This presentation will examine the unparalleled influence of Murakami’s fiction on global storytelling, attributing this impact to its singular capacity to resonate with the challenges of modern experience.
Campus Locations: Tanner Irish Humanities Building - Carolyn (CTIHB). Campus Wide Event: Yes.
Tuesday, February 3, 2026, 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM.
Faculty Friday Work in Progress - Eduardo de la Cruz - instructor, Nahuatl
*this presentation will be in Spanish, with a Q&A following in Spanish and English
ENSEÑANDO Y RECONECTANDO CON LA COMUNIDAD:
Caso del náhuatl, variante de la Huasteca Veracruzana
CTIHB 201/211 - Lunch will be served
Actualmente las comunidades indígenas presentan una transición en su lengua, cultura, vestimenta y en su estructura social. La ideología y la cosmovisión de la lengua es ignorada cada vez más por las nuevas generaciones. Para ello, hablaremos de los trabajos de Instituto de Docencia e Investigación Etnológica de Zacatecas A.C. “IDIEZ” una asociación civil sin fines de lucro, y las formas de reconexión como un aspecto de revitalización desde las comunidades nahuas de la Huasteca Veracruzana.
Campus Locations: Tanner Irish Humanities Building - Carolyn (CTIHB). Campus Wide Event: Yes.
Friday, February 6, 2026, 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
Presidents' Day
University Observed Holidays
Campus Wide Event: Yes.
Monday, February 16, 2026.
Kingdom of Football: Saudi Arabia and the Remaking of World Soccer
Kingdom of Football: Saudi Arabia and the Remaking of World Soccer, by Dr. Kristian Coates Ulrichsen
Kingdom of Football explores how and why Saudi Arabia burst onto the landscape of world football in 2023, and examines what the speed and scale of Saudi engagement - as investor, owner, sponsor, host and competitor - might mean for the Kingdom and for football.
Campus Locations: Tanner Irish Humanities Building - Carolyn (CTIHB). Campus Wide Event: Yes.
Tuesday, February 24, 2026, 12:30 PM – 2:00 PM.
Venezuela: Past, Present...and Future?
with Alejandro Velasco - Associate Professor of Latin American History, NYU
At dawn on January 3rd US troops flew into Venezuela's capital Caracas, captured President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, and flew them to New York where they await trial on charges ranging from narcoterrorism to possession of explosives. The overnight raid marked a dramatic culmination of a months-long build up of US military power, attacks, and threats of US invasion. Yet in the immediate wake, most of Maduro's government remains in power, and despite early signs of tension, appears now to be working in lockstep with US demands for oil concessions. The result has been mounting questions both about the future, and the past, of Venezuela, the US, and the relationship between both: what became of the project of "chavismo" that ruled Venezuela for a quarter century? Are we witnessing a new type of "regime change" or a return to old forms of US imperialism? And most importantly, what is the prospect for a just, democratic future for Venez…
Campus Locations: Tanner Irish Humanities Building - Carolyn (CTIHB). Campus Wide Event: Yes.
Friday, February 27, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM.
Aging with Limited Kin: Childlessness and Care Arrangements in Singapore and Thailand
with Bussarawan "Puk" Teerawichitchainan - Department of Sociology and Anthropology, National University of Singapore
Rapid demographic transitions and changing family structures are increasing the number of adults aging with limited close kin. Drawing on mixed-methods evidence from Thailand and Singapore, this talk examines how childlessness and other forms of constrained kin availability shape long-term care and advance care planning in later life. Findings reveal substantial heterogeneity among childless older adults, pronounced gender differences in care vulnerabilities and planning behaviors, and persistent tensions between familistic norms and the lived realities of kin limitation. Moving beyond deficit-based framings, the presentation highlights adaptive strategies through which older adults reconfigure care and planning, and argues for reimagining kin, care, and policy in low-fertility, family-oriented societies.
Campus Locations: Social & Behavioral Sciences (BEH S). Campus Wide Event: Yes.
Wednesday, March 4, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM.
Faculty Friday Work in Progress - Chris Low, Director of the Middle East Center
Distilling Empire: Britain's Archipelago of Coal-Fired Water.
Campus Locations: Tanner Irish Humanities Building - Carolyn (CTIHB). Campus Wide Event: Yes.
Friday, March 27, 2026, 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
Faculty Friday Work in Progress - Maria Laura Martinelli
Title coming soon!
Campus Locations: Tanner Irish Humanities Building - Carolyn (CTIHB). Campus Wide Event: Yes.
Friday, April 3, 2026, 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
Faculty Friday Work in Progress - Annie Greene, History
Title coming soon!
Campus Locations: Tanner Irish Humanities Building - Carolyn (CTIHB). Campus Wide Event: Yes.
Friday, April 17, 2026, 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM.